Trunk locking device



Oct. 13, 1931. c. P. ALBERT 1,827,060

TRUNK LOCKING DEVICE Filed March 29, 1950 i i 5 and the like. v

" 25 vide a locking structure especially adapted actuation of thehandle.

Patented Get. 1.3, lllalk i v i y unirsi) STATES PATENT ori-ics CARL P.A`LB1ZR'.1,v OF" RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO GREENEVIVIANUFIM'J'J!U'RING' Y COMPANY, OF RACN, WSCCNSIN, A CORPGRAT'IGNF`W1'SCONSIN TRUNK LOCKING :DEVICE Application inea March 29, 19:50.serial No. 439,952.

T his invention relates'to certain new and trating the locking mechanismas seen from useful improvements in locking devices for the inside ofthe trunk; f f trunks, particularly the rtype adapted to `be Figure 3isa perspective detail view ofv one mounted on the rear of automotivevehicles of the pivoted latches, and i p i AFigure 4 is a perspectiveview of one of the 5 The meansheretofore employed for securkeepers withwhich the latches are engageing the covers of trunks of this typeclosed, able.V Y f have been objectionable, as they required theReferring now more particularly to the acuse of two hands in opening andclosing, and companying drawings, the numeral 5 reprelend themselvesreadily to graceful pleasing adapted to be carried atthe rear of anautodesign. l motive vehicle and 6 the" lid or 'cover -thereot` It is,therefore, yan object of this'invention which is hingedly connected withthe main to provide simple means kwhereby the lid or section along itsupper rear portion.

'35 cover of ,a trunk of the character described The meeting edges ofthe cover and main (55 may be'secured closed at spaced points,prefsection4 are provided with the usual intererably near the ends ofthe trunk, by a single engagingl balances and the cover is adaptedmedially located actuating device. to be secured closed by two latchstructures Another object of this invention resides in 7, mounted on theinner front walls 8 and 94 y due to their necessary construction did notsentsthe main section of atrunk particularly ce Z0 the provision of alocking device for trunks of the main sectionand-cover respectivel '7oof the characterdescribed wherein the actual adjacent the ends of thetrunk. The latc mechanism is mounted inside the trunk,so as members arecontrolled from a centrally lonot to detract from its exteriorappearance. vcated handle 10 in a manner to be later det is also an object of this invention to proscribed, to be' simultaneously operated uponfor trunks of the type secured to automotive' The latch members 7 areidentical in convehicles, wherein a single actuating member structioneXcept that they are reversed, andv positively draws the cover closedand'forces cach has a plate11 secured to the front wall the same open. 8of the main section to pivotally mount a so With the above and otherobjects n view latch 12, as at 13. The latches 12 are engage- S0 whichwill appear as the description proable withy keepers 14 secured to thefront ceeds, my invention residesin the novel conwall 9 of the-coverdirectly above the plates struction, combination and arrangement of 11,and as best illustrated in Figures 2 and 3,

yparl-,S Substantially as herelnafter described llELVG enlarged heads l5blfllICated t0 pIOVlCle pended claims, it being understood that suchiOfffset extensions 18 projected downwardly changes vin the preciseembodiment of the from the enlarged heads to be receivedinhereindisclosed invention may be made as `pockets formed by pressing aportion ofthe come within the scope of the. claims. plates 11loutwardly, as at-19, are rivetedfto 40 In the accompanying drawings, Ihave ilthe Walls of the pockets vto form the pivotal `90 lustrated onecomplete example of the physimounting 13 for the latches.

cal embodiment of my invention constructedv The keepers 14 arepreferably stamped according to the best mode I have'so far defrom asingle piece of bendablev metal and vised for the practical applicationof the have attaching portionsy20 from which arms principles thereof,and in which: 21 project downwardly and olf-set arms 22 '95 Figure 1 isa perspective view'of a trunk spaced from and parallel with the arms 21.

f adapted to be mounted on the rear of an auto- The lower ends of thearms are connected by motive vehicle or the like and illustrating myrivets 23 whose medial portions form :bear-V invention applied thereto;ings for rollers 24 confined between the arms.

and rmore particularly defined by the apupper and lower arms 16 and 17,respectively. S5

50 Figure 2 `is yan enlarged detail view illus- The rollers24 facilitatethe engagement of y100v the bifurcated ends of the latch members withthe keepers, as will be readily apparent.

W hen it is desired to secure the cover section closed, the latches 12are actuated to engage their upper a 1ms 16 over the rollers 24 whichdraws the cover tightly into engagement with the main section, movementof the latches as hereinbefore stated, resulting from actuation of thecentrally located handle 10. l he handle l0 is freely rotatably mountedfrom the front wall 8 of the main section and has its stein 25 extendedthrough the wall and a plate 26 fixed to the rear facethereof to have alever member 27 non-rotatably secured to its inner end. rlh'el'evermember 27 oppositely extending arms 28 the outer ends of which areconnected one with each latch 12 through link members 29 freelypivotally connected at their oppositeends with the lever ends 28 and theenlarged heads 15 of the latches. Hence, it is seen that as the handle10 is rotated, the latches 12 are simultaneously actuated to theirclosed or open positions. V Y

During openingv movement of the latches by actuation of the handle 10,the lower arms 1i' engage the rollers 24 of the keepers and forciblyraise the lid or cover sufliciently to break the usually tight seal atthe juncture of the cover with the main section.

lt is noted that inasmuch as both latches 12 are actuatedsimultaneously, the ,closing and opening of the cover will be eectedwithout warping the same which very often occurred where independentlocking means `were provided at the ends ofthe cover section,

for in such instances, especially during opening7 one end of the trunkis very often forced open before the other.

To enable the trunk cover to be locked in closed position, the lever 27-has a downwardly extending` projection y30 whose lower end is engageablewith a locking member 31 pivotally -mounted from the plate 26, as at 32.The locking member 31 has an arm 33 eX tended downwardly into a casingacarried by the plate 26and in which al spring 35 is rmounted to normallyyieldably urge the locking member 31 in 'a direction engaging its endBGwith the lower end of the projection `30. l key controlled lockingcylinder 37 suitably mounted in the wall 8 of the `main section andhaving a cam or the like 38 disposed within the casing Slito beengageable with the extension 38 of the locking member, enables the sameto be swung about its pivot 32 against the action of the spring 35 to'move its end 36 out of the pathl of the extension 30 andv permit freeand unrestricted movement of the lever 27 by the handle.

lt is noted that the upper end of the lockj ing member 31 has a curvedsurface 39. This permits rotation of the lever 27 Vby the handle toeffect closing'lof lthe trunk after the key controlled cylinder has beenturned rto trunk of the character described is subjected.

This is accomplished by permittii'ig the lever 27 torotate past deadcenter during its lock- Aing movement to engage a stop Ll0. Any

tendency to disengage the latches 12 from their keepers thus merelytends to rotate the leverv27in a direction abutting the stop.

lf desired, tongues and sockets l may be 'mounted on'th'e exteriorsurface of the walls 8 and 9 of the main section and cover respectively,directly in front of the latching devices 7. The provision of such meansgreatlyenhances the external appearance of the trunk and furtherincreases its rigidity.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art to which an invention of the character described appertains,that l provide a novel trunk locking means which is particularlyadaptable to trunks of the type mounted at the rear of automotivevehicles and the like, wherein positive means are provided for drawingthe cover tightly closed and forcing it open during the initial openingmovement, and wherein such means is actuated from a centrally locatedhandle member to be simultaneously operated. litis also obvious that .bymounting the locking mechanism within the trunk its exterior appearanceis not marred by mechanism which, due to its construction, eannot be ofpleasing design.

`What li claim as my invention is:

1-1 The combination with a trunk having a body portion and a covertherefor, of a plurality of llocks, each'lock comprising a U- shapedmember having a rollermounted between the parallel legs thereof andsecured to said cover, a forked member pivotally vmounted Aon said bodyportion for engagement withsaid roller, the prongs of said forked memberhaving a double cam action on said roller and acting `to force the covertightly on the body portion in locked position and partially open thecover during unlocking and actuating means to simultaneously lock andunlock both locks, said actuating means comprising a rotatable memberhaving armsthereon cooperating with links pivotally connected to saidarms and to said forked members to form a toggle joint whereby turningof said rotatable member actuates bothA lool-:ing means.

2. The combination with a `trunk having a body portion and a covertherefor, of a plurality of locks, eachlock comprising a U- shapedmember havinga rollermounted between the parallel legsthereof andsecured to said cover,-a forked 4member,-pivotally and secured portionfor engageinounted onsaid body the prongs of sald tion and partiallyopen the cover during un`qv locking, actuating means to simultaneouslylockand unlock both locks, said actuating means comprising a rotatablemember having arms thereon cooperating with links ivotally connected tosaid armsand to said orked members to'form a toggle joint wherebyturning of said rotatable member actuates both locking means, and meansto secure against accidental unlocking of said locks, comprising a stopmember for said rotatable member Vplaced beyond the dead center.

3. The combination with a trunk having a body portion, a cover therefor,of a plurality of locks, each lock comprising a U-shaped member having aroller parallel legs of said U, secured to said cover, a forked member,pivotally mounted at a point remote from the prongs of said fork to saidbody portion for engagement with said roller, forked member havingdouble cam action and acting to force the cover tightly upon the bodyportion in locked position and to partially open the lid duringunlocking, and actuating means to simultaneously lock and unlock bothlocks, comprising a rotatable member having arms thereon cooperatingwith links pivotally connected to said arms and to said forked membersto form a. toggle joint whereby turning of said rotatable memberactuates both locking means. f

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

CARL P. ALBERT.

mounted between the the prongs of said'

